List of sundial mottos


Many sundials bear a motto to reflect the sentiments of its maker or owner.

English mottos

  • Be as true to each other as this dial is to the sun.
  • Begone about Thy business.
  • Come along and grow old with me; the best is yet to be.
  • Hours fly, Flowers die. New days, New ways, Pass by. Love stays.
  • Hours fly, Flowers bloom and die. Old days, Old ways pass. Love stays.
  • I only tell of sunny hours.
  • I count only sunny hours.
  • The clouds shall pass and the sun will shine on us once more.
  • Let others tell of storms and showers, I tell of sunny morning hours.
  • Let others tell of storms and showers, I'll only count your sunny hours. Has date of 1767
  • Life is but a shadow: the shadow of a bird on the wing.
  • Self-dependent power can time defy, as rocks resist the billows and the sky.
  • Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away.
  • Today is Yesterday's Tomorrow
  • When I am gone, mark not the passing of the hours, but just that love lives on.
  • The Concern of the Rich and the Poor
  • Time Takes All But Memories
  • Some tell of storms and showers, I tell of sunny hours.
  • Order in the court!
  • Like true firemen, I am always ready.

Latin mottos

Time flies

Hora fugit, ne tardes. Ruit hora. Tempus breve est. Tempus fugit .
  • ''Tempus volat, hora fugit.''

Make use of time

Altera pars otio, pars ista labori. Festina lente. – carpe diem. Utere, non numera.
  • ''Utere non reditura.''

Human mortality

Ex iis unam cave. Lente hora, celeriter anni. Meam vide umbram, tuam videbis vitam. Memor esto brevis ævi. Mox nox. Tuam nescis pereunt et imputantur. umbra sumus. Serius est quam cogitas. Sic labitur ætas. Sic vita fluit, dum stare videtur. Ultima latet ut observentur omnes. Umbra sicut hominis vita. Una ex his erit tibi ultima. Ver non semper viret. Vita fugit, sicut umbra Vita similis umbræ.
  • ''Vulnerant omnes ultima necat.''

Transience

Tempus edax rerum. Tempus vincit omnia.
  • ''Vidi nihil permanere sub sole.''

Virtue

Dum tempus habemus operemur bonum.
  • ''Omnes æquales sola virtute discrepantes.''

Living

Amicis qualibet hora. Dona præsentis cape lætus horæ . Fruere hora. Post tenebras spero lucem. Semper amicis hora. Sit fausta quæ labitur. Sol omnibus lucet. Tempus omnia dabit. Una dabit quod negat altera. Vita in motu.
  • ''Vivere memento.''

Humorous

Horas non numero nisi æstivas. Horas non numero nisi serenas. Nunc est bibendum. Si sol deficit, respicit me nemo.
  • ''Sine sole sileo.''

German mottos

  • ''Mach' es wie die Sonnenuhr; Zähl' die heitren Stunden nur!''